Inside The Panthers

Pitt Offense Fights Back in Second Scrimmage

The Pitt Panthers defense pushed Kade Bell's offense around in the first scrimmage of the spring, but there was a different story the second time around.
Kevin Sinclair|
Sep 25, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet on the sidelines against the New Hampshire Wildcats during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Sep 25, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet on the sidelines against the New Hampshire Wildcats during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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It goes without saying but members of the media covering the Pitt Panthers spring camp would've gladly attended the scrimmage on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.

Of course, Pat Narduzzi knows the full-live practice wasn't open to the press. So, his opening remarks at Tuesday's press conference were made in jest.

"You guys missed a great Saturday at Acrisure Stadium," Narduzzi said. "Kids went out and competed. I love how they compete. You know, they play together and take care of their business." 

It was the second full scrimmage so far this spring, the first being described as a near-domination from the defensive side of the ball. This time, Kade Bell's crew put up an admirable fight.

"Two weeks ago, the defense came out with the win, and (the) offense went out and got a 57-43 victory (on Saturday). 57 to 43."

What fueled the lopsided outcome in Scrimmage No. 1 was a flurry of turnovers. According to Pitt's head coach, the Eli Holstein-led crew showed a major clean up in that area.

"We're getting a lot of good work in with three groups working. One turnover in the entire scrimmage. Anytime you do that, you've got to eliminate those in that many plays,...135 plays or so, not counting special teams, you've got a chance to win the game," Narduzzi said. "So, the offense came out with the victory." 

"Some nice plays, threw the ball well and protected the ball, so that made a head coach happy. I can tell you that. It makes me have a better Sunday than if we don't take care of business," Narduzzi said. "So, I was happy with the way the guys played. Deuce Spann had some nice plays." 

"I think we ran the ball solid. Zion (Fowler-El) had a nice catch down the middle. Deuce (Spann) had a nice touchdown catch. You know, just some good plays made overall offensively...it wasn't like things were wide open, but...guys made plays."

Asked midway through his segment of the press conference whether it would be risky to be excessively optimistic about the Pitt offense.

“We've got a long way to go...I'm just giving you the highlights," Narduzzi said. "I didn't give you any low lights, but we've got a long way to go. We always do. Shoot, I'm going to say that in mid-August, that we still have a long way to go, but I like the way our guys are working."

"I'm always a positive guy," Narduzzi added. "I'm optimistic, but I won't be as optimistic when I get in with the offense, talk about those turnovers today. Actually, today were takeaways, like I said, but we've got to protect the ball."

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Kevin Sinclair
KEVIN SINCLAIR

Kevin Sinclair writes coverage of the Pitt Panthers along with the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tennessee Titans for On SI. Previously, he was a recruiting reporter and managing editor at Irish Illustrated, the privately-owned Notre Dame site within the 247Sports Network, for over seven-and-a-half years. Kevin studied multimedia journalism and has been a sports writer for nearly a decade.

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